Horizontally mounted luminaire with lowering device



R. K. FARRINGTON 3,342,988

' HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Sept. 19, 1967 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 50, 1965 P 19, 1967 R. K. FARRINGTON 3,342,988

HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 19654 Sheets-Sheet 2 HTTO/F'NEYJ P 1967 R. K. IFARRINGTON HORIZONTALLYMOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 50,1965 P 19, 1967 R. K. FARRINGTON 8 HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITHLOWERING DEVICE Filed Aug. 30, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WTTO/PIYFYS UnitedStates Patent 3,342,988 HORIZONTALLY MOUNTED LUMINAIRE WITH LOWERINGDEVICE Robert K. Farrington, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The ThompsonElectric Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 30,1965, Ser. No. 483,464 Claims. (Cl. 240-64) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Aluminaire having a fixed hood and a lowering fixture adapted to bereleasably latched to the hood and lowered for servicing and maintenanceoperations by means of cables passing over pulley means in the hood andattached to the lowering fixture, includes an upwardly concave refractorand a downwardly concave reflector mounted on the lowering fixture withtheir peripheral edges meeting substantially in sealing contact, andlighting means is carried on the lowering fixture between the reflectorand refractor, together with servicing electrical contacts.

This invention relates to improvements in a side mounted luminaire withbuilt-in lowering device adapted to be mounted in a generally horizontalposition from the mast arm of a pole support or other suitable mounting.

More particularly, the invention relates to a luminaire which is longerthan it is wide and adapted to be mounted to a mast arm in a generallyhorizontal position with its longer dimension generally in line with themast arm, the assembly including a fixed hood generally convex upwardlyand adapted to be rigidly attached to a mast arm or other suitablesupport and coacting with a lowering fixture generally convex downwardlyand having an upper edge mating'with the lower edge of the hood to forma substantially closed enclosure wherein the lowering fixture includes arefractor, convex downwardly, completing the enclosure. Cable mean isprovided for raising and lowering the fixture relative to the hood andlatch means is provided for releasably latching the fixture to the hoodin raised position. Both the cable means and the latching means isdesigned so that the fixture is properly oriented relative to the hoodbefore being latched in the raised position.

Other features of the invention includes a novel arrangement of contactsmating when the lowering fixture is in raised position so as to energizean electric lamp means included in the assembly; together with a novelarrangement of a hinge bar for supporting the electric lamp, the fixedelectric contacts associated therewith, and providing at the same time amounting for a reflector normally positioned above the lamp.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from theaccompanying drawings and description and the essential features will beset forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the improvedfixture of this invention mounted on a mast arm which in turn is rigidlyconnected to a vertical pole, the drawing being partly broken away toshow means for pulling on the operating cable and for fixing the same inposition when the lowering fixture is raised and latched to the hood;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lowering fixture suspendedbelow the fixed hood with certain parts broken away to more clearly showthe construction;

FIG. 3 shows central sectional views through the hood and loweringfixture of FIGS. 1 and 2 when the lowering fixture is approaching itsraised and latched position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken generally along the line 44of FIG. 3 but showing the pairs of mating contacts in their final matingposition;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view, enlarged, taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a central sectional view, enlarged, through one of thestationary contact holders 36 of FIGS. 2 and 24; while FIG. 7 is afragmental sectional view, enlarged, taken along the line 77 of FIG. 1.

Separate lowering devices for pendant type light fixtures have beenknown for some years. However, the current trend is for horizontallymounted units whose operating height is being increased from twenty-fivefeet to forty feet or more which makes the servicing of such a lightvery difiicult. Up to this time, no practical means has been known oflowering such horizontally mounted fixtures since the use of known typesof lowering hangers has been both impractical and aestheticallydetrimental to the appearance of the fixtures. The present inventionsolves this problem by practical and efiicient means completely housedwithin the fixture so as not to spoil the appearance thereof.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, hood 10 which is longer than it iswide and generally convex upwardly tapers toward the end 10a thereofwhere it is attached to a hollow mast arm 11 which in turn is supportedon a hollow vertical pole 12. It should be understood that other meansof supporting the luminaire of this invention might be utilized. Mastarm clamps 13 embrace the mast arm 11 and are secured to the narrow endof the hood at 10a so as to hold the hood rigidly to the end of the mastarm.

The lowering fixture 14 includes a metal portion 15 adapted to mate withthe hood 10 and a refractor 16 which is mounted on the fixture member 15by refractor clips 16 or otherwise held in any suitable manner. Areflector 17 is also provided on the lowering fixture as will be laterdescribed.

Cable means is provided for raising and lowering the lowering fixturerelative to the hood and arranged in such a fashion that the loweringfixture is maintained horizontally level and centered crosswise of thehood during the relative movement. In the form shown, two lengths ofcable 18 are provided lying approximately in a plane about which theweight of the lowering fixture is evenly balanced. Preferably, but notnecessarily, each cable length is attached to the apex 19 of abifurcated bracket 20 which is secured at spaced point 21 to the fixturemember 15 on opposite side of and equally spaced from the plane definedabove. The cable lengths 18 pass over pulleys 22 positioned in the hooddirectly above the points of attachment of the cables 18. The pulleyslie on opposite sides of the bulge of the reflector 17 so as to conservespace within the hood. From the pulleys 22 the cables 18 pass around apair of pulleys 23 located close to the longitudinal center line of thehood and thence enter the upper portion 11a of the mast arm 11 andthence along the mast arm to the pole 12 where they pass around pulleysin the pole (not shown) and down to a pulley 24. The purpose of thepulley 24 is to equalize the pull on the cable runs 13 which for thispurpose are made into a single length of cable having a bight passingaround the aforesaid pulley 24. In the operative position of the partsshown in FIG. 1, the pulley 24 is mounted in a fixture 25 which isconnected by a hook 26 with a suitable pin 27 fixed relative to the pole12.

The use of the two cable runs 18 attached as described holds thelowering fixture in a balanced horizontal position, keeps the loweringfixtures from twisting during a raising operation, and brings thelowering fixture up to the hood centered relative to the hood across thenarrower dimension of the latter.

The brackets 20 provide not only a point of attachment for the cables18, but also is a means providing the guiding of the lowering portion 14as the member 15 thereof comes into close relationship with the fixedhousing 10. As the lowering member 14 is being raised, the brackets 20being made of spring quality stainless steel wire absorb any shockshould the lowering portion 14 sway against the housing 10. The brackets20 also provide stability when the lowering unit is in a latchedposition.

In FIG. 7, one of the brackets is shown in its final position after themember 15 latched to the hood 10. In this position the bracket 20 iscompressed slightly inwardly 'by contact with the side of the hood andthis provides a final guiding action as the units approach each andprovide stability after the unit are latched together. Referring againto FIG. 7, at each end of each bracket 20, an eye 20a is secured bymeans of a screw 50 passing through a washer 51, then through the eyeand into a boss integral with the member 15.

Latch means is provided for securing the lowering fixture in its raisedand operative position. This includes latch stems 29 locatedapproximately on the longitudinal center line of the hood and loweringfixture and on opposite sides of the cable runs 18. Pivotally attachedto each latch stem is at least one latch dog 30, two being shown in eachcase pivoted to opposite sides of the latch stem. Each latch dog has alatching nose 30a on one side of the pivot 31 and a counterbalancingtail 3012 on the opposite side of the pivot. It will be noted that theenlarged head of the stem 29 overlies the latch dogs so as to hold themin the position shown in FIG. 3. On the hood, coacting parts include alatch stem guide 30' and a latch keeper 32 fixed in the hood andvertically above the latch stem 29. It will be noted that each of thelatch stems has an enlarged head which is generally convex upwardly inthe fore-and-aft direction so that as the parts approach a latchingposition as indicated in FIG. 3, the keeper bars 32 attached to the hoodwill cam the lowering fixture into a registering position in aforeand-aft direction just prior to the latching operation. Referring toFIG. 3, when each latch nose 30a engages its keeper pin 32, the latchdog is cammed in a counterclockwise direction about the pivot pin 31 asshown at the left end of FIG. 3 until it passes the pin 32, after whichthe tail 30b swings the latch dog back to the position of FIG. 3 withthe nose 30a above the pin 32. To release the latch dog when it isdesired to lower the fixture, a quick pull on the cable runs 18 willcause the latch dog nose 30a to strike a cross bar 33 and a quick motionwill lower the fixture while the nose 30a is still in position to clearthe keeper pin 32.

Electric lamp means 34 is indicated in FIG. 3 which is carried by thelowering fixture. In one embodiment of this invention, this lamp meansis a mercury vapor lamp but it will be understood that this inventionmay be utilized with other types of electric lamps. For energizing thislamp, a pair of fixed contacts are provided in the hood with a pair ofmating contacts carried by the lowering fixture into mating orelectrically engaging position when the fixture is in its raised oroperative position. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the upper or fixedcontacts are indicated at 35 spaced on opposite sides of thelongitudinal center line of the hood. Each of these contacts is mountedin a holder 36 which in turn is fixed to a bracket 37 supported by thehood. Each of these contacts is connected to an electrical conductor 38and these pass outwardly through the mast arm which is preferablypartitioned to protect these electrical conductors from the operatingcables 18.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, mating contacts 39 are carried by asocket assembly 40 and are electrically connected through the socketassembly by means not shown to the lamp 34. Other connections areprovided as needed between contacts 39 and ballast, condensers, etc. Thesocket assembly is mounted in a socket holder 41 which in turn ismounted on a hinge bar 42 supported between hinge brackets 43 rigidlysecured to the opposite sides of the fixture member 15. In this form ofthe invention, the latch stem 29 seen at the right-hand side of FIG. 3is mounted on the socket holder 41. It will be noted in the variousviews that the electrical contacts 35 and 39 have vertically extendingcontact surfaces so that there is a wiping contact as the mating ofthese surfaces takes place as shown in FIG. 4 simultaneously with thelatching operation.

The structure within each contact holder 36 is more clearly shown insection in FIG. 6. The brush contact 35 is slidably mounted in asuitable bore 52 in the block 36. The brush contact is secured to acylindrical pistonlike member 53 which is mounted for slightreciprocation in a cylinder 54 which is provided interiorly of the block36. Where the conductor 38 enters the block, it is held in position by athreaded cap 55 which presses a spring centering projection 56 in aspring 57, the other end of which engages a spring centering projection5311 on the member 53. In normal position, the spring 57 holds the brushcontact 35 in the dot-dash position, but as the mating contacts 39 moveinto contacting position, the curved ends of the contacts 39 cam thebrush contacts 35 inwardly to the full line position of FIG. 6. Thus,the springs 57 maintain a firm contact between the contactors 35 and 39.

As indicated in dot-dash lines in FIGS. 3 and 5, the reflector 17 issecured by screws 17a to the socket holder 41. The whole socket assembly40, 41 pivots about hinge bar 42. The parts are held in the position ofFIG. 3 by the lower rim of reflector 17 resting upon the upper rim ofrefractor 16 where it comes up through the central opening 15a of member15. A tight seal is maintained entirely around these mating rims byplacing a continuous gasket between them and clamping them together byconventional normally releasable clamps, which permits the opening ofthe assembly and removal of the lamp during maintenance without the useof hand tools. This keeps the light source bugand weather-proof.

It will be noted in the various views that the lowering fixture isshorter in its longer dimension than the hood. The portion of theunderside of the hood not covered by the fixture 15 when the parts arein operative position is covered by a plate 45 fixed to the hood 10. Thenecessary condensers, ballast, etc., indicated generally at 46 may bemounted on this cover plate 45 or otherwise suitably secured preferablyto the hood.

It should be understood that the fixture member 15 is a relatively snugfit around its upper edge against the mating lower edge of the hood 10when the parts are in their raised and operative position shown in FIG.1.

What is claimed is:

1. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to amast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimensiongenerally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hoodgenerally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to saidmast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having anupper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form asubstantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including arefractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to saidhood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereonbalancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hoodover which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in saidlowering fixture,

electric contacts on said fixture electrically connected with said lampmeans, mating electric contacts on said hood engageable with said firstnamed contacts when the edges of said fixture and hood substantiallycoact when said fixture is moved to raised position by said cable means,means for latching said fixture in raised position with said matingcontacts engaged, and wherein said points of attachment of said cablemeans to said fixture are equally spaced on opposite sides of a centerline running lengthwise of said hood and including at each of saidpoints of cable means attachment a bifurcated bracket having itsopposite ends secured to said fixture on opposite sides of a plane aboutwhich the weight of said fixture lengthwise is balanced, and a cablesecured to the mid-point of each bracket.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pulley means includes twopulleys mounted on said hood respectively in said plane containing saidpoints of cable means attachment and equally spaced on opposite sides ofa center line running lengthwise of said hood, said cable meansincluding two cables, each one passing over one of said pulleys and downto and attached at the corresponding point of cable means attachment,and means for equalizing the pull on said cables.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said means for equalizing saidpull on said cables includes providing said cables as a continuouslength having a bight at the end distant from said hood, passing saidbight around a pulley, and providing means for actuating said pulley toraise and lower said fixture.

4. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to amast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimensiongenerally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hoodgenerally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to saidmast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having anupper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form asubstantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including arefractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to saidhood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereonbalancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hoodover which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in saidlowering fixture, electric contacts on said fixture electricallyconnected with said lamp means, mating electric contacts on said hoodengageable with said first named contacts when the edges of said fixtureand hood substantially coact when said fixture is moved to raisedposition by said cable means, means for latching said fixture in raisedposition with said mating contacts engaged, and wherein said means forlatching said fixture in raised position includes two latch assembliesrespectively on opposite sides of said plane and on the longitudinalcenter line of said hood, each of said latch assemblies including partson said hood member and on said lowering fixture member, each latchassembly including a latch stem on one of said members and a latch guideon the other of said members, coacting surfaces on said stem and guidecentering said fixture member relative to its registering hood memberportion, a latch dog pivotally mounted on said stem, and a keeper onsaid guide in position to lockingly engage its associated dog when saidmating edges of said hood and fixture members engage.

5. In a luminaire longer than it is wide and adapted to be mounted to amast arm in a generally horizontal position with its longer dimensiongenerally in line with said mast arm; the combination of a fixed hoodgenerally convex upwardly and adapted to be rigidly attached to saidmast arm, a lowering fixture generally convex downwardly and having anupper edge mating with the lower edge of said hood to form asubstantially closed enclosure, said lowering fixture including arefractor, means for raising and lowering said fixture relative to saidhood including cable means attached to said fixture at points thereonbalancing said fixture on said cable means, pulley means in said hoodover which said cable means passes, electric lamp means mounted in saidlowering fixture, electric contacts on said fixture electricallyconnected with said lamp means, mating electric contacts on said hoodengageable with said first named contacts when the edges of said fixtureand hood substantially coact when said fixture is moved to raisedposition by said cable means, means for latching said fixture in raisedposition with said mating contacts engaged, and including a fixed hingebar on said lowering fixture member and extending crosswise thereof,means on said hingle bar centrally thereof for supporting said electriclight means and said fixture electric contacts, and means pivotallymounting said reflector on said hinge bar straddling said supportingmeans for said light means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,907,872 10/1959 Wilson 240-66XR 3,053,979 9/1962 Farringt-on 24064 3,179,793 4/1965 Franck 240253,189,739 6/1965 McPhail 240-25 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,274,626 9/1961 France.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

W. M. FRYE, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A LUMINAIRE LONGER THAN IT IS WIDE AND ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED TO AMAST ARM IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION WITH ITS LONGER DIMENSIONGENERALLY IN LINE WITH SAID MAST ARM; THE COMBINATION OF A FIXED HOODGENERALLY CONVEX UPWARDLY AND ADAPTED TO BE RIGIDLY ATTACHED TO SAIDMAST ARM, A LOWERING FIXTURE GENERALLY CONVEX DOWNWARDLY AND HAVING ANUPPER EDGE MATING WITH THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID HOOD TO FORM ASUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED ENCLOSURE, SAID LOWERING FIXTURE INCLUDING AREFRACTOR, MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID FIXTURE RELATIVE TO SAIDHOOD INCLUDING CABLE MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID FIXTURE AT POINTS THEREONBALANCING SAID FIXTURE ON SAID FIXTURE AT POINTS MEANS IN SAID HOOD OVERWHICH SAID CABLE MEANS PASSES, ELECTRIC LAMP MEANS MOUNTED IN SAIDLOWERING FIXTURE, ELECTRIC CONTACTS ON SAID FIXTURE ELECTRICALLYCONNECTED WITH SAID LAMP MEANS, MATING ELECTRIC CONTACTS ON SAID HOODENGAGEABLE WITH SAID FIRST NAMED CONTACTS WHEN THE EDGES OF SAID FIXTUREAND HOOD SUBSTANTIALLY COACT WHEN SAID FIXTURE IS MOVED TO RAISEDPOSITION BY SAID CABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR LATCHING SAID FIXTURE IN RAISEDPOSITION WITH